Two letters of recommendation from teachers, supervisors, or community leaders.

Completion of a two essays in English See Application for more details.

Certified English translations of all documents.

Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume (optional).

Scholarship Eligibility Criteria

East Timorese (Timor-Leste) citizenship and proof of residency in Timor-Leste for at least the last two years.

Minimum of 18 years old at the time scholarship begins.

Good English language skills. Combined ‘International English Language Testing System’ (IELTS) score of at least 5.5 or TOEFL equivalent. See additional information below.

High school graduate certificate (Ijazah) with a final average of at least 7.5

Satisfactory grades in prerequisite coursework depending on field of study.

Recipients of other scholarships to the United States must prove residency and employment in Timor-Leste for at least two years before they are eligible to apply.

Candidates must meet the United States requirements for international student visas, including health and background check requisites. Candidates are expected to contribute to the scholarly exchange of information between the U.S. and Timor-Leste and required to return to Timor-Leste following their studies for a period of at least two years.

Employees of the Timor-Leste Hillary Clinton Scholarship Program, the US Embassy, USAID, their contractors, and their immediate family members are not eligible for scholarships.

The Selection Process

The Participant Selection Committee will review all eligible applications and a short list will be developed based on academic qualifications, career goals, and related eligibility criteria. The short-listed candidates will be contacted and scheduled to take the IELTS. Candidates with a score of at least 5.5 will be considered for the next selection round, which includes an oral interview in English.

Foundation Preparatory Courses

Academically qualified candidates who do not have a prior IELTS test score will be required to attend an IELTS preparation course in Dili before sitting for the exam. The program will cover the matriculation costs of the course but will not pay for transportation, lodging, or any other logistic-related expenses.

Those scoring less than 5.5 on the IELTS but still deemed academically qualified may be given an opportunity to study English in Timor-Leste and/or in the United States, depending on the individual circumstances.

Short-listed candidates may be required to attend Foundations courses prior to their final candidacy. Course topics may include such subjects such as academic reading and writing, math, science, problem solving, American culture, test taking, and information technology. The program will assess the required time for candidates once applications are received and reviewed.